Highest P25 Evaluation Rating — Icom Radio Put to the Test

The US Department of Homeland Security and the US National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) recently conducted a series of P25 Trials and have produced The Portable Radio Repeaters for Indoor and Subterranean Environments Assessment Report. Achieving the top spot in this report was the Etherstack SFFR-6 GoBox tested with the Icom IC-F7020T P25 radios operating in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band.

The Etherstack SFFR-6 GoBox tactical repeater, which was tested using the Icom IC-F7020T P25 portable radios, was evaluated in the five key areas of capability, usability, deployability, maintainability, and affordability, achieving the highest rating as assessed by highly experienced evaluators from firefighting, law enforcement and emergency management.

Marty Anderson, Icom Australia General Manager, said, “Icom are privileged to be recognised alongside Etherstack in this report. Icom’s long-standing reputation for producing high-quality radio transceivers complements the expertly designed ‘GoBox’ for efficient deployment and usability. The IC-F7020T portable transceiver assessed in this report is the smallest and lightest of its class, it’s an extremely capable radio, it’s discrete and easy to carry, and it’s affordable.”

David Deacon, Etherstack CEO, said of the report, “Etherstack have long made high-quality P25 RF products as well as our software portfolio of communications protocol stacks and wireless communications network cores, and it is very gratifying for the Etherstack SFFR-6 GoBox tactical repeater to be publicly recognised by such a prestigious organization as the US NUSTL. We understand the difference rapidly deployable portable radio repeaters can make to first responders, emergency services and corporate clients needing affordable ad hoc radio coverage.”

The report by NUSTL is now available for download¹. Further details can be found on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) page². The Etherstack SFFR-6 GoBox tactical repeater is available for immediate order. Contact Etherstack for more information.

Beyond P25: A Comprehensive Range of Professional Radio Solutions That Flexibly Meet Your Needs

No matter what your communication needs may be, Icom Australia has the system for you. Icom goes beyond traditional VHF and UHF two-way radios, providing peace of mind and keeping you connected anywhere and at any time. Icom continues developing innovative solutions in response to diversifying user needs and offers a wide range of two-way radio platforms from analogue, digital, wireless LAN, LTE to satellite as a true comprehensive wireless communications company with a team of Australian-based technicians, engineers, sales and support professionals.

IP Radio — LTE & Hybrid Icom’s IP radio (LTE) provides instantaneous, wide area communication using an LTE (4G) and 3G network*. It enables full-duplex communication, which allows telephone style conversations. The Hybrid IP radio can receive both communications from an LTE radio group and IDAS™ (or analogue) group.

Satellite PTT — Satellite PTT (Push-To-Talk) is Icom’s two-way radio system that uses the Iridium^® satellite network. It can be used as a communication tool in remote, isolated areas where there are no mobile phones or landline network infrastructure. Even if terrestrial network infrastructure is rendered unusable by human or natural disasters, Satellite PTT can provide a stable back-up, independent from other networks.

Digital Radio — IDAS is Icom’s digital land mobile radio system using the NXDN™ or dPMR™ common air interface. IDAS offers a complete system of handheld radios, mobile radios, repeaters, network interface/trunking controllers, remote communicator, system manager software and various accessories. IDAS is a proven total digital solution that system owners or operators can grow into as their time and budgets allow.

P25 Radio — Icom P25 radios meet public safety customers’ demanding needs and afford them the opportunity to make the most of their budgets, with cost-effective digital two-way radio communications products. Communicating with Icom’s P25 radios using conventional analogue, digital, or mixed mode operation as well as optional Phase 1 and Phase 2 trunking allows customers the ability to upgrade their fleet at their own pace.

Analogue Radio — Radio technologies and know-how cultivated for nearly 60 years have been applied to professional analogue radio products. Rugged, waterproof, easy to use, clear and powerful audio in a compact design, Icom’s analogue products provide high performance and reliable communication. They are cost-effective solutions that you can rely on and help you improve productivity and efficiency.

RoIP Gateway — The VE-PG4 is a versatile Radio over IP Gateway device that provides a seamless solution interconnecting various communication systems irrespective of standards and distance such as satellite PTT radio, LTE radio, WLAN radio, IDAS digital radio, analogue radio, IP phones and more. The VE-PG4 works as a general IP backbone converting received audio to transmit from other radios.

IP Radio — WLAN Wireless LAN radio requires no licence to use and allows you to have simultaneous full-duplex communications over a WLAN network. It offers secure communications with encryption and different types of calls such as individual, all, area, priority, group, status calls and short data messaging. You can also connect an IP phone or conventional radio equipment when using it with the RoIP gateway.

For a personalised consultation with the Icom Australia Sales and Engineers, contact Icom Australia: https://www.icom-australia.com/contact/contact.php.

_{*3G service availability depends on the network operator. Network coverage provided by a custom SIM card.}

1. https://www.etherstack.com/wp-content/uploads/PortableRadioRepeaterAssessmentReport_21June2022_Final-508_0.pdf

2. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSFACIR/bulletins/31f7e8a#link_2